Tamdhu Distinction

A distillery bottling of Tamdhu and bottled at 48%. Opened in 1897 on the banks of the Spey in Speyside, Tamdhu is a sherry led Speyside malt. Tamdhu ran the last Saladin box maltings in Scotland, the boxes still standing on site.

Distilled in copper onion stills on Tamdhu Spring water, for a rich Speyside spirit built to take sherry wood. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. With no age statement, it shows a rich, sherried body and ripe dried fruit. Years in oak round the spirit, the dried fruit and spice deepening with age. The name Tamdhu is Gaelic for little dark hill, and the architect was Charles Doig. The River Spey runs past the distillery on its way to the Moray coast. Ian Macleod runs Tamdhu alongside Glengoyne and Rosebank. Water is drawn from the Tamdhu Spring on the Speyside site. The distillery was built on a spot once known for illicit distilling. A full, fruity spirit gives Tamdhu the weight to carry active sherry wood.

At 48%, undiluted, it is deep and sherried. The Oloroso brings raisin, walnut and dark sugar. The texture is rich and rounded, the fruit lifted by sherry. The finish runs rich, nutty and spiced. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.